The Idaho Vandals defeated Northern Arizona 86-76 on Saturday.
Idaho’s big contributor to their efforts in the game came from their 30 bench points, with Takai Hardy dropping 10 points off the bench, being the team’s fourth-highest scorer.
Idaho’s shot defense was on display in the second half, with Northern Arizona shooting a poor 33.3% from the field, and 1-13 from the three-point line. Idaho was able to box out well, outrebounding the Lumberjacks 40-34.
Northern Arizona jumped out to a quick lead, going up 8-0 within the first two minutes of play. The Lumberjacks were up 31-16 with under 10 minutes to go in the first, until the Vandals were able to close in on NAU, tying the game at 38 with two minutes left in the first half. Idaho was able to head into halftime with a 42-40 lead after rallying from down big.
The Vandals were led by junior guard Quinn Denker, who posted a stat line of 20 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds. Juice Mims was also a big factor for Idaho, scoring 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
In the second half, the two teams kept trading punches, but the big thing for Idaho was their aggressiveness that got them to the free throw line for 19 attempts in the second half. The Vandals were also able to convert at the charity stripe, making 16 of their 19 attempts.
As the Vandals went down the homestretch of the second half, the score got to a 68-68 tie with 5:35 to go in the game. That is when Denker and junior guard EJ Neal combined for 14 points, outscoring all of NAU in the last minutes of play. That is how Idaho was able to pull away and come out with the 86-76 win.
Idaho is now sitting at 11-17 overall and 5-10 in conference play. The Vandals look to keep the winning going as they play Montana State on leap day, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m. at ICCU Arena.
Bryce Norwood can be reached at [email protected]